


~Un Ano~

by 1InSaNeAnGeL



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Angst with a Happy Ending, Asexual Amami Rantaro, Background Amami Rantaro's Sisters, Biromantic Naegi Makoto, Bisexual Naegi Makoto, Boys In Love, Demiromantic Amami Rantaro, Dork Naegi Makoto, F/F, Femboy Naegi Makoto, Inspired by Music, Living in the Time of Covid-19, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Minor Naegi Makoto/Komaeda Nagito, Moving On, Sweet Amami Rantaro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-21 21:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30028071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1InSaNeAnGeL/pseuds/1InSaNeAnGeL
Summary: ~As a Naeami shipper (Naegi Makoto/Amami Rantaro), I feel it is necessary to contribute.Inspired by the song "Un Ano" by Sebastian Yatra and Reik, highly recommend it.~
Relationships: Amami Rantaro/Naegi Makoto, Fukawa Touko/Naegi Komaru (Implied), Komaeda Nagito/Naegi Makoto (Past), Naegi Komaru & Naegi Makoto
Kudos: 3





	~Un Ano~

**Author's Note:**

> ~Yet another experiment and this one has one of my favorite Dangan Ronpa "crack" ships at the center of it, so here we go. Enjoy!~

“Chocolate milk and pancakes, the ultimate comfort food and drink combo.” One Naegi Makoto snickered as his younger sister Komaru narrated this with a soft yet booming, at the same time yes it’s possible, whisper, still in her pajamas, and yet her hair was everything but a bedhead mess. "After so many hours of planning and careful studying, the rare Mako-saur prepares itself a grand feast in celebration of its accomplishments."

“I’m hungry, sue me Imoto-chan,” The tiny brunette pretended to be grumpy, putting the milk carton back away into the refrigerator. Komaru has already had breakfast, judging from the egg residue sticking to the pan half submerged under soapy water.

“It’s 12:30 in the afternoon, Onii-chan!” Komaru wagged a finger in her brother’s face, everything but sincerely annoyed. “Did you go to bed late or something?”

“No! I...I just slept through my alarm.”

“So you missed your morning classes?!”

“No! No, no I just slept through my breakfast alarm. I kept sleeping in and forgetting to eat before school so I set up an alarm to wake me up at 7 AM.”

“...But you slept through that,” Komaru said slowly, blinking rapidly as she tried to process the information, and logic, of her brother’s reasoning. Makoto turned pink around the cheeks.

“Y-yeah, I did. So I went to classes with an empty stomach; I’m counting this as a brunch though! So technically I didn’t miss any meals.”

“Wait, who gave you the idea to set up an alarm for breakfast in the first place? You're not that forward-thinking!”

“...”

Amazingly enough, it was the silence that provided the answer to Komaru’s question, her porcelain cheeks going red as a smile split her face in half. “Awwww, Amami-sama takes care of you all the way from New York City!! Gotta admire a man’s dedication to a long-distance relationship, since you’re not easy to put up with.”

She has to get that dig in, she just has to.

“B-be quiet, Komaru!” Makoto’s comeback was weak as hell, but it was all he could think of on the spot. His cheeks, which were already pink as strawberries at this point, were now on fire as his phone vibrated on the kitchen countertop. “It’s Rantaro-san!”

“Eh? Isn’t it super late in the States right now though? How do you know? It’s on vibrate too, I didn’t hear that cute little song playing.”

“We figured out a schedule, and of course you know his ringtone by heart now…”

“Duh! He has a specialized ringtone!” Komaru threw her arms up and did Jazz hands, sticking out her tongue at Makoto. “Everyone in your contacts has specialized ringtones but his, his ringtone is a LOVE song!! So yeah, of course, I know it by heart because I hear it at least once or twice a week.”

“I’m going upstairs! Make sure to scrub that pan clean before dinnertime.”

“Hai, hai! Say hi to Amami-san for me, and don’t forget you promised to watch that new cooking show with me at 4!”

“I didn’t, thanks Imoto-chan!” Makoto stuck his fork in his mouth and headed back upstairs. He was glad he remembered to leave his bedroom door open, since he was holding the plate of pancakes in one hand and his glass of chocolate milk in the other. Ignoring the mess of notes and textbooks on his bed, he set the plate and glass down on his desk. Spitting out the fork, he grabbed his laptop and pulled out his cellphone.

His washed-out hazel-green eyes went gold in delight.

**Hey there sleepyhead, are you busy right now? ^-^**

Makoto was quick to scribble his fingertip against the touchpad, stirring his laptop from sleep mode. He quickly typed in his password, pulled up the camera, took a deep breath before pressing the little green call button. He crossed his legs once he sat down in his spinny chair, rubbing his eyes and smoothing down his hair in a weak attempt to not look like a total disaster.

His next class isn’t until 2 so he had time.

Despite having done this for a couple of months now, Makoto’s heart still skipped a beat once the temporarily black screen flashes white to reveal a thin, heart-shaped face with very, very light chocolate skin, short curly hair the color of green tea, and piercing green eyes framed by long, thick lashes, lashes longer than Makoto’s or even Komaru’s. That pretty heart-shaped face is even more defined in its beauty by the tiny yet sweet smile on a thin, warm pair of lips, the tiniest hint of straight, white teeth poking out curiously.

“Who are you calling sleepyhead, sleepyhead? It’s almost 11 over there,” Makoto accused with a puff of his cheeks. What he got in return was a light, angelic laugh.

“Well when you’re making sure your sisters brush their teeth before bed, you kind of lose track of the time you know? And I’m not that tired yet.” The boy on the screen admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

“You’re dressed for bed though,” Makoto pointed out, cutting a piece of pancake with his fork and biting into the extra sweet, thanks to the extra syrup, treat. Amami Rantaro’s smile broadened, shrugging.

“Eventually I’ll fall asleep,” he assured his tiny boyfriend, tugging lightly at the collar of his tank top. He sure was dressed for bed, that's for sure: a pair of black shorts and a dark blue tank top, still sporting his collection of rings, bracelets and earrings. Makoto knows he sometimes dozes off in them, and that was just really cute in his eyes. “I wanted to check in before though, how’s school so far today?”

“It’s alright. The usual, you know,” Makoto didn’t have much to report; what can you say that can excite anyone about Math? Quadratic functions suck. “I slept through my first alarm though, so this,” he held up the plate of pancakes, three in total with lots of syrup and diced strawberries, to the camera so Rantaro can see, “is my brunch. A word which here means ‘A tasteful combination of breakfast and lunch.”

“Oooh, someone’s English is improving! That’s awesome, Mako-chan,” Rantaro praised, sitting like he normally did in any seat available to him: the chair’s back to the camera, he sitting with his long legs firmly connecting with the floor and his arms folded under his chin. “And expanding your vocabulary too, looks like you didn’t need me much at all for tutoring anymore.”

“Baka, don’t say that,” Makoto made sure to keep his voice down so as not to wake any of Rantaro’s sisters no doubt sleeping peacefully in the background. “I just...I just wanted to get better is all, for myself and for when you get back. I wanted to impress you.”

“You always do,” Rantaro pointed out with a fond look in his deep green eyes. Makoto felt his face go red again. “But you really should do better with your alarms, I don't want you to go hungry during classes.”

“I can always switch off my camera to get a snack, as long as I don’t eat with it on I’m good,” Makoto said. And he wasn’t lying; none of his teachers expected a bunch of teenagers learning online to not get up and go to the bathroom or grab a snack at some point during the school day. Staring at a screen for hours without doing much is the very definition of unfiltered boredom and torture.

Times like this make Makoto wish he was back at Hope’s Peak Academy, in a real classroom for in-person learning. But until things got better globally, this was how he was to learn. He and his sister Komaru, his friends Hina and Byakuya, though Byakuya was probably thriving in this environment like he does in all of them, Nagito and Hajime and Chiaki, Kokichi and Shuichi and Gonta, though maybe not so much Gonta now that he thought of it, and so on. At least Rantaro was visiting another country.

Though the States have been hit pretty hard by this pandemic too…

“Mako-chan?”

“H-huh?”

“You went quiet there,” Rantaro was frowning now, eyes worried. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I just...haha, just spaced out is all. No worries,” Makoto waved away his boyfriend’s concern and took a sip from his glass. “Chocolate milk, hmmm really does hit the spot.”

“It does,” Rantaro decided not to push Makoto further on whatever he was thinking about prior, smiling once again. “I miss your chocolate milk.”

“It’s just chocolate syrup and milk, I don’t do anything special.”

“You do make your own pancakes though, right?”

“Hai. So…?”

“And they always taste so yummy. I do miss them,” Rantaro replied with a giggle, that sound making Makoto look away or risk melting into a puddle. “I do my best here, but they don’t come out tasting nearly as great as yours.”

“They let you go outside?” Makoto asked, sounding hopeful. His and Komaru’s parents were a bit stricter about letting their children go outside these days, reasonable to a point. “Always have your mask on!”, “Stay six feet away from other people!”, “Hold your sister’s hand and stay close to each other at all times!”, “Make a list of everything you need so you don’t have to make so many trips to the store!”, and so on.

As much as the tiny brunette appreciated his parents taking this situation seriously, he missed the days he could go to the park with Komaru and her girlfriend Toko for ice cream, or with Shuichi and Keebo to enjoy the sunshine and talk about school, their latest favorite shows and whatever else they could think of. It’s hard sometimes, to be inside all the time.

“I always have my mask on,” Rantaro nodded, “I make a list of the things we need and try my best not to take too long. It’s weird seeing a city usually so brimming with life so empty, but we make do.” His smile returned to make Makoto’s stomach do a backflip. “Sara always asks about you and Komaru-chan, all my sisters do. You’re a mini-celebrity to them, haha.”

Sara was Rantaro’s youngest sister, the one he’s the most glued to the hip to. She was pretty and cute and adorable and Makoto saw a lot of Rantaro in her. Both so adventurous, both so wise beyond their years. After so much time searching, it took a pandemic and its crippling effect on global society to bring Rantaro and his sisters together.

A silver lining in a very grim situation all in all.

“I’m not that interesting,” Makoto protested, smiling shyly and wishing he was wearing his hoodie so he could hide in it like a turtle. “I mean, even if we’re all stuck inside at least you can see the city outside your window. Nothing really happens around here.”

“Yeah, but I do wish we could move around a little more.” Rantaro said, sighing. “I wanted to see a bit of the States, and…”

“And?” Makoto urged gently, raising a brow in confusion. Rantaro looked up and smiled.

“I miss you.”

“...?!” Makoto nearly dropped his fork, blinking his eyes rapidly.

“Don’t look at me like that, Mako-chan.” Rantaro looked a bit hurt now. “I always miss you, and with this going on I can’t really go back to Japan to see you.”

“B-but it’s okay, Rantaro-san. You’re with your sisters, you finally found them and got to be with them.” Makoto’s eyes shined, and he pressed his hands against his chest. “I know what that means to you, how much it means to you. That makes you happy, so it makes me happy.”

“I am happy, yeah. It’s great to see them again after so long, how much they’ve grown. But that doesn’t mean I don’t miss you and Komaru-chan, Shuichi-kun and Kaede-chan, and everyone else back home. I was hoping to go back in a month actually, but then this happened, and…”

“You were going to visit?”

“For a few weeks yeah, I took pictures and I wanted to show you and I have something for you too.”

“F-for me?” Makoto’s hand went to lightly caress the rectangular crystal pendulum necklace around his neck. It was Rantaro’s, he had given it to Makoto before he left for the States, as a token to remember him by. It was a necklace that Rantaro always wore, always Makoto thinks even in the shower, and so when he parted with it so his boyfriend could always have a piece of him even when they were apart...Makoto wouldn’t deny that the gesture had brought tears to his eyes, and made him hug the taller boy just a little bit tighter before getting himself together and putting on a brave face.

Makoto never wanted Rantaro to feel guilt for leaving him for his adventures. The taller boy was an adventurer, a nomad, and survivor, who is Makoto to strip those titles from him? No one, even if they were dating. He’d never keep Rantaro in one place, he’d never keep his sisters in one place, and maybe once he graduated from Hope’s Peak he’ll go with him. He’ll see if Komaru wants to tag along, as Rantaro’s sisters already adore her. He’ll see, it depends.

“You don’t have to do that,” Makoto found his voice finally, shaking his head. “T-the pictures sound awesome and I want to see them, but you don’t have to spend time getting me stuff.”

“You make it sound as if it’s a bother.”

“N-no! I mean, I think so? But because I’m fine! I’m fine, I’m fine without gifts because...because you still have to wait to give me the best one.” Makoto scratched his cheek with a shaky, thin finger, biting his lower lip.

Rantaro blinked, “The best one?”

“...You. When all of this is over,” Makoto took a deep breath and met Rantaro’s gaze. Lively tea met washed-out pine. “When I get to see you again, in person. Without a mask, without having to be six feet apart...I like that idea. To see you, to be with you. That’s the best gift you can give me, Rantaro!”

“Makoto…”

“I-I have to go now! Early class, I need to finish eating. Goodnight, well goodnight for you not me okay bye!”

“Wai-”

Makoto cut the connection off before Rantaro could finish, sighing and slamming his head against the top of his desk. His glass jolted, the contents inside shimmering but nothing spilled over. “I’m such an idiot,” he mumbled, not so hungry anymore.

He bit into the rest of his pancake with a frown.

* * *

“You’re so dumb, Onii-chan,” Komaru rolled her eyes, looking up from her magazine with a light glare.

“I panicked, okay? I-I didn’t know what else to say, and I thought I might have freaked him out so yeah!” Makoto tried to defend himself, plopping down on the couch and putting his feet up in Komaru’s lap. He rubbed his eyes, sighing. “I panicked.”

“You still dumb,” Komaru rolled up her magazine and smacked Makoto on the forehead.

“Ow!”

“He probably thought that was one of the sweetest things you’ve said to him until your dumbass ass went and hung up on him! Mixed signals, duh!”

“What?”

“He probably thinks you don’t like him as much as he likes you,” Komaru was talking like a professional in relationships, sitting up properly and giving Makoto her undivided attention. “You guys have a long-distance relationship which is no easy feat! Not getting to see each other every day, depending on only phone calls and texts and letters and video calls. That’s not easy, Makoto, and with this going on? It might be a while before you see each other in person! Rantaro’s halfway across the globe with his sisters, he’s missing you like crazy and you just shut down on him.”

“You think he does?”

“Oh my gosh, yes! He tries to call at least once a week if he has reception. He always asks about me and our parents all the time, got you to set alarms which is pretty amazing if you ask me-”

“Hey!”

“And he gave you his necklace! His necklace, Makoto! He wore that every day until the day he gave it to you. It’s probably his favorite and he gave it to you!! He wanted you to have something of his to hold you over. What more do you need?”

Makoto sweatdropped. “You’re scaring me right now, Komaru…”

“I know how long it took for you to get over your last relationship, Onii-chan.” Komaru softened her tone, placing a kind hand on Makoto’s shoulder. “You were sad and quiet for weeks, and even when you were getting better you weren’t smiling and laughing. Since being with Rantaro though, you’ve gotten back to your old self. I’m happy.”

Makoto’s eyes, while sad, were warm. He nodded, “Yeah, I am better now aren’t I?”

“Yeah, and I want to keep it that way. Next time you talk to Rantaro, just be cool okay? It’s him.”

“Ha, you make it sound so easy.”

“Because it is, you’re a dumbass but you’re also smart. Don’t let him think you don’t feel the same way, not many guys will date a guy with that many sisters.”

“I have you, don’t I? I’m prepared.”

“Shut up,” Komaru shoved Makoto lightly before getting up and stretching. “Welp, I’m heading upstairs for a nap! Wake me up for lunch, and don’t do anything else stupid while I’m gone.”

“How can I, Imoto? You’re taking all the stupid with you.”

The siblings made faces and threw pillows at each other for a few minutes before Komaru declared herself the winner, because of course she can, and headed upstairs to her room. Makoto smiled as her steps grew fainter and fainter until the house went pretty much quiet.

‘She’s right,’ The tiny brunette thought with a sigh, laying back down and folding his hands over his stomach. ‘I don’t want Rantaro to think I don’t feel the same way he does. This means a lot to me, more than I ever thought it would.’ His fingers gently traced the crystal pendulum still hanging proudly around his neck, heart beating just a tiny bit faster. ‘It’s like having a part of him with me all the time...who knows how long it’ll be before we see each other in person again. It’s been a year of this, no way it’s going to go away soon.’ Makoto sat up and chewed on his lower lip, thinking hard. ‘Maybe I can do something to apologize for last time. I cut him off and didn’t answer his texts yesterday. I’ve gone a whole two weeks without talking to him.’

And the Worst Boyfriend Ever Award goes to…!

Makoto pulled out his cellphone, unlocked it, and checked his text messages. The ones he hasn’t read from Rantaro.

**We’ll talk when you’re ready, okay?**

**Take care of yourself and Komaru-chan. ^-^**

Perfection, thy name is Amami Rantaro. Well, actually Amami in Italian means “Love me” but that’s beside the point!

Another guy or girl would be pissed at Makoto for ghosting them as much as he has these last few days and demand an explanation, no doubt Rantaro wanted one but he was waiting for Makoto to make the first move.

He was very mysterious and kept to himself, but behind that was also patient and dotting. Rantaro was kind, why did Makoto even hazard to think that would change even after becoming boyfriends?

How the taller boy was there for him when...he broke up with…

‘I wish the nail polish hadn’t chipped off,’ Makoto forced himself to abandon that train of thought as he looked down at his hands.

The nails were short and plain, but almost a year ago they were a pretty ruby red with green clovers. Four-leaf clovers, red and green being Makoto’s colors; Rantaro was really good at painting nails and making really intricate, lovely designs. At first, the tiny brunette was unsure, because would that look good on him? Some guys can pull off nail polish, like Kokichi and Shuichi, but him? He wasn’t as pretty as them.

That was his mistake, to doubt Rantaro’s amazing ability to make everyone around him feel taken care of and special. Something Makoto noticed when they were just best friends. That wasn’t going to change.

Yeah, yeah he really needs to do something special for Rantaro. But what?

Pulling up the text box, Makoto started typing.

**Are you free tonight?**

The response didn’t come there and then and that’s okay, Makoto needed the extra time to mentally prepare himself and get something, anything, put together. But it can’t just be anything, it has to come from the heart.

The heart, his heart. The heart that Amami Rantaro has ownership over, even if that’s not exactly how he’d phrase it.

‘It might be a long time before he gets to hold it in his hands, but it’ll be worth it.’ Makoto took a deep breath, bit his lower lip, and headed upstairs to fetch his laptop.

Luckily ordering things is an option.

* * *

Sometimes doing this made Makoto feel as if Rantaro was right next to him.

He was in his room, the window open to let in the fresh air, on his back in bed with his arms crossed behind his head. A cooling cup of tea on his desk, shoes and socks off with some nice ambiance music playing softly through his laptop speakers. Eyes closed, Makoto took a deep breath through his nose, letting it out, slowly through his mouth. Every negative thought was gone, every little tension out of Makoto’s arms and legs, for a moment he was just existing. Focusing on his breathing, but careful not to focus too much or risk falling asleep.

Kind of like how he does when the taller boy is here…

_Makoto stifled a yawn into his elbow, stretching his arms above his head, and hearing a few pops in the process, before he was back to laying down, one hand lightly gripping the front of Rantaro’s shirt. A soft, rich chuckle rumbles below his ear, causing him to blush lightly. “What are you laughing at?”_

_“Nothing, just enjoying the moment,” Rantaro replied, pressing his cheek against the top of Makoto’s head._

_“...Me too,” the tiny brunette admitted, smiling and nuzzling even more into the warmth._

It’s kind of amazing how sometimes Makoto and Rantaro can literally spend a few afternoons in a row just listening to music in Makoto’s bedroom, cuddled up and away from the world for a few minutes to just breathe. Really breathe, exist at the moment, and relax; it’s not something that a lot of people can do or even know how to do, and once Makoto didn’t know how to do it. Then Rantaro showed up and taught the tiny brunette a thing or two, almost like a mentor smiling and carefully guiding.

Huh, mentor and mentee. That’s one way to frame their relationship at the beginning…

“Onii-chan!!”

“Eh? Imoto-chan?” Makoto was forced out of his thoughts when Komaru bonked him on the head, grinning madly as she held a small package out to him. “What’s this?”

“Mail for you!! Something came in for me too, and both from Rantaro-san!” Komaru explained, holding up her right wrist. A pretty bracelet meant to resemble a snake, with shiny yellow gems for eyes and especially shiny scales, adored the smooth, pale skin without a hitch. “Isn’t this pretty? Did you tell Rantaro-san that I like snakes or what, because I sure haven’t told him myself.”

“Lucky guess,” Makoto hazarded with a chuckle, as he didn’t really let that little tidbit slip to his green-haired lover. He tore off the top of the packaging and carefully reached inside. “He doesn’t have to do this…”

“But he did, because he loves you!” Komaru exclaimed, clapping her hands together as she sat across from Makoto. It was an understatement to say that she was excited to see what the Ultimate Adventurer had gotten for her brother.

Makoto’s washed-out hazel-green eyes grew to the size of dinner plates when pulling out his hand from inside the package revealed a single earring. It was a feather earring, the entirety of its body a vibrant, lively parakeet green with a drop of currant red at the very end. It was simple yet breathtaking, soft to the touch; the brunette gently caressed the curve of the feather, lips parted in a silent, long gasp.

“Wow, it’s so pretty…”

“And in your colors!! I didn’t know parrot feathers come like this, knowing Rantaro-san he found it left behind and wanted to save it,” Komaru’s own eyes were glistening like pearls in shallow water as she lightly poked Makoto’s feather, giggling when it caught the light above their heads and seemed greener than just a few minutes ago. “Rantaro-san really does know how to pick out gifts, well what are you waiting for? Put it on, Onii-chan!”

“You think it will look good on me?”

“Put it on!” Komaru whined, even going as far as taking the feather earring from her brother and carefully pushing a few locks of desaturated brown hair away from his right ear. She quickly removed the rubber stopper at the end of the thin, metal curve before working her magic and sliding the sharp end of the hook through her brother’s pierced lobe with relative ease. For someone who didn’t wear jewelry on a daily basis, she knew what she was doing. “There we go!”

Makoto blinked, noticing the slight extra weight almost immediately. It wasn’t bothersome, but indeed noticeable. He reached up and gently caressed the feather again, humming softly. “How does it look?”

Komaru pulled out her phone and brought up the camera, making sure it was facing in the right direction before holding it out to Makoto. “Take a look for yourself.”

The tiny brunette did just that, his expression going from unsure to surprised.

Makoto has been trying to get out of his comfort zone fashion-wise, ditching his trademark jeans and blazer and hoodie for something more...well, something that reminded him of Rantaro. It wasn’t exactly like his style, but it was cozy. In place of Makoto’s black blazer and green hoodie he was sporting two tank tops. The first one had thin straps and a bright red, clinging to his slender form nicely, followed by another one with thicker straps and dark green. Wearing two tank tops seems counterproductive, and dumb thanks to Komaru’s input, but Makoto liked it so he went with it. In place of his dark jeans he was sporting a pair of dark blue jean shorts with plenty of pockets; the jeans stopped just above his knees and did well to compliment his fair skin. He wasn’t sporting any bracelets and the only necklace he was wearing was Rantaro’s, but...but not bad.

This was a decent look, he can get used to this. Especially the feather, it was so pretty and actually made his eyes pop.

“Wow I, I look-”

“Hot! Well, for a brother but yeah!! Rantaro-san has to see this,” Komaru snatched back her cellphone and quickly took, at least, eight photos of a steadily growing more and more embarrassed Makoto. “There we go!”

“Wait, wait!” Makoto tried to yank Komaru’s phone out of her hand only to topple backward when suddenly her free hand was pushing and pushing at his face. “Komaru-!”

“All done,” Komaru’s grin was cheeky and wide and just plain torture, folding her hands behind her head. “You’ll thank me later, I promise!”

Makoto rolled his eyes and rolled over onto his side, picking up the T.V. remote and deciding that channel-surfing was his only option right now. Well, other than be steaming mad at his sister.

* * *

“I think you look beautiful today, Mako-chan.” Rantaro’s voice was soothing, a melody that had the ability to both soothe and stir Makoto to alert in the span of only a few seconds. His smile, tiny but sincere, made the tiny brunette’s screen glow (yes, Makoto firmly believes that’s a thing) and his heartfelt a little less heavy.

“Sometimes...t-this is hard,” Makoto whispered, lifting his head off the tops of his knees. He wore his lower lip between his teeth, tears pricking his eyes. “I know we have to stay inside, stay home. And my room is usually where I find peace, but…”

“Sometimes it’s too much,” Rantaro’s tone was everything but condescending, the look in his eyes softening a bit more. “You feel like the walls are closing in, you feel like there’s nothing else to talk about. Sometimes you’re alright one minute, the next you feel closed in.”

Makoto’s anxiety, something he did fairly well to keep under control by talking it out, either with Rantaro or his sister and parents or Hina and Kirigiri, has had more spike ups as of late. Sometimes his own room would feel like a cell. Sometimes his thoughts go from something so carefree as to what to eat for lunch or if he’s done all his homework to feeling so empty, so numb, and left to grip at his pillows to get some sensation, any sensation at all. How Makoto would go from happy and dressed to sobbing in his pajamas, trying to muffle them under his comforter.

Social distancing was a good practice, but also a great source of potential isolation. And with isolation can come agony.

Makoto hasn’t seen his friends in person for weeks now. Most of his conversations are with Komaru and his parents; Makoto hasn’t seen Rantaro in person for a whole year now. This wasn’t new with the taller boy’s travels, but he always came back. Even if it was three months in the waiting, he came back. But he hasn’t been able to, and that...that can be really hard to deal with sometimes.

But Naegi Makoto didn’t like inconveniencing people. He didn’t want Rantaro to feel bad for not being here when it’s completely out of his control.

...But he missed him. He missed his smiles in person, his hugs, and the occasional kiss. He missed his voice in person, and just missed spending time with him in general.

Makoto missed Rantaro.

The tears finally broke free, and Makoto tried to end them by rubbing his eyes continuously. His chest felt tight, and he wasn’t sure if it was because he missed Rantaro or it was another anxiety attack coming up. It was hard to tell nowadays.

“Makoto…”

“Gomen nasai, gomen nasai I…” The tiny brunette tried to regain his composure, sniffling and aware that his eyes were getting puffier, redder, and wetter by the second. “I didn’t mean to-” Makoto looked up, hoping that Rantaro wasn’t upset.

Only to see the green-haired boy was wearing a...a helmet. A Mandalorian helmet. It looked like a prop, a real prop from the show that Makoto’s been discreetly (not!) obsessing over for the past year or so. It was so polished that it shined, and even with the helmet on Makoto could feel Rantaro’s gaze on him.

…!

“Does it look alright, Mako-chan?”

“W-where did you get that?”

“I made it.” Rantaro’s voice was heavily distorted, but it wasn’t because the helmet was muffling him. It was...it was part of the helmet itself, hiding his identity just like that. Of course, Makoto knew who it was under the mask, but it was still so...so fucking cool.

“You made that?!”

“Haha, I had some time to myself,” Rantaro’s chuckle was better than Din Djarin’s, and that’s saying something since Makoto has a big crush on him.

Or is it had? Did he like Amami Rantaro that much? So much that he’s willing to let go of one masked and mysterious and selfless and ever wandering hero for another?

...Yeah, yeah it seems so.

“I didn’t know you liked that show,” Makoto said, his tears momentarily forgotten and a tiny smile peeking out. Rantaro shrugged.

“You wouldn’t stop talking about it so I thought to check it out for myself. I gotta say, even though I wasn’t born when the first set of movies came out, I see the appeal. Watched the first season to see what I was getting myself into, then went back and watched episodes 4 through 6. Oh, 1 through 3 too don't worry.”

“And?”

Rantaro chuckled, letting Makoto know he was smiling. “The Force is always with you, Mako-chan.”

“Y-you said it!! You said the phrase, oh my-” Makoto couldn’t resist letting out an array of giggles, cheeks pink but this time out of delight over despair. “It sounds even cooler when you say it. So you see why I make a big deal out of it? It’s so good, and I even like the Prequels.”

“They’re not that bad, heavy on the CGI but still pretty cool. And a purple lightsaber? Who would pass on that?” Rantaro leaned forward in his chair, head tilted to the side. “I looked it up and depending on the color the meaning is different. I didn’t know lightsabers could come in so many colors.”

“Which one’s your favorite so far?”

“Green hands down,” Rantaro replied, his soft chuckling making Makoto’s heart skip a beat or two. “It’s our color, and the green represents a strong connection to the Force right? A Jedi Consular, a Jedi willing to fight the dark side at its heart. It means that Jedi are very curious about the Force itself and want to understand its mysteries.”

“You...you’re right! Yeah, that’s it,” Makoto nodded, his smile threatening to split his face in half. “Luke Skywalker has a green lightsaber, ha and he’s my favorite character! And not just because it’s his story, you know?”

“You like men who are simple. An idealistic farmboy going on a journey to master self-discipline and find his destiny in a galaxy far, far away. Haha, I can see the appeal. Though the darksaber is looking pretty nice too.”

“I didn’t know something like a darksaber existed!! I mean, red lightsabers are possible only if you bleed the kyber crystal you know? I’m pretty sure I missed it somewhere during the show because I was so stoked, but I’m definitely going to research it.” Makoto declared, suddenly looking very serious. Rantaro’s eyes lit up with glee at seeing his boyfriend like this. 

Sure, one could argue it would be better if Makoto was this excited about studying, just a little bit more...but this was better than nothing, you know? It was better, and to see his eyes shining so brightly.

It makes Rantaro wish that it was only different time zones and a large, lovely sea keeping them apart…

“Rantaro…?”

“Hmm?”

“Can we watch the show together right now? Like you know, even though we’re not in the same room...we can still watch it together.” Makoto tapped his pointer fingers together, looking everywhere but at the screen.

“Mako-chan, I’d be honored.”

* * *

“Is it me or you’re wearing a lot more jewelry nowadays?” Hina asked with a grin, biting into her second donut this morning with gusto.

Kirigiri let out a soft laugh, looking up from the book she was reading. “I wonder what Rantaro-kun had to do to achieve this, we’ll have to trade notes next time we all video chat.”

Makoto’s cheeks resembled tomatoes; it didn’t matter if he tugged at his hair over and over, this obvious truth remained obvious. And while he should have been thoroughly embarrassed, he found that he wasn’t. Not really, because Hina and Kirigiri were telling the truth. Makoto’s gotten used to wearing more and more jewelry. He was allowed to wear them in class as long as they weren’t too distracting, and while his process in getting comfortable has been slug-like in nature he definitely looked different than he did a few months ago.

“I got curious,” Makoto uttered as his reasoning, lifting his head up and smiling. “Jewelry’s a nice look at him, and I know we’re not exactly the same but I wanted to see if it’d work.”

“It does, don’t get us wrong it does!” Hina assured with a soft giggle, wiping her mouth. “I think it’s cute that you wear jewelry for fun, and that it’s your way to feel close to Rantaro-kun too.”

“Close?”

“You wear his necklace every day,” Kirigiri pointed out, blinking her lovely eyes and tilting her head. “It’s become a part of you since then, and it’s a way to comfort yourself that isn’t as obvious as say reading over your text messages.”

“Which you do in class, even if you think you’re sneaky about it. Haha, lucky our teacher hasn’t caught on!”

“Ughhh!” Makoto thumped his forehead against his desk, now wishing he had turned off his camera.

* * *

Rantaro smiled as he put his littlest sister to bed, brushing a few locks of her hair out of her face.

It took a while, but eventually, all 12 young girls were off to dreamland in cozy pajamas and tummies full of sandwiches. Why worry about ordering takeout when having a food fight in the kitchen results in the best BLTs or extra cheesy double stacks with tomato soup?

Rantaro was really, really happy he had gone grocery shopping when he did. They didn’t always stay inside, that was just asking for trouble but when they felt they had to stay inside they did and tried to entertain themselves with movies, telling each other stories under a sheet tent and playing any board games they had with them.

The serenity, the tranquility is really nice.

‘I just wish I could share this with Makoto,’ The boy with tea green hair’s smile saddened just a tad, not enough to bring down his entire mood but the warmth was noticeably less warm.

To say that Rantaro missed Naegi Makoto was an understatement. While they were still relatively new to the romantic relationship aspect of their dynamic, it wasn’t something that entirely knocked them off their feet. Before feelings had developed, the two had something special: Makoto was chatty and positive and upbeat, always eager to share his day with Rantaro. Rantaro was patient and kind and very wise, offering to tutor Makoto in Math and English. From there the encounters between them ranged from tutoring sessions to gaming marathons to going out for tea and cookies and so on. It had been subtle, the change in their relationship but it had been there for a very long time.

And now that they were more, Rantaro’s desire to see Makoto has grown more and more. If it wasn’t for the global horror that was the pandemic, the taller boy would do his very best to be stuck to Makoto. To be there for him, to see him smile and hear his laugh. And them spending time together didn’t have to entail anything specifically, Rantaro would be satisfied with just being in the same room. Makoto was a simple guy; the two had spent an afternoon trying a bunch of different flavors of tea and that had left the tiny brunette so giddy and content. As long as he got to be with the people he loved, Naegi Makoto was happy.

The people he loved…

Rantaro’s cheeks turned a dark pink. Was it fair of him to assume that Makoto loved him? It could be too soon for him to think such, as they haven’t really been able to spend time together since this pandemic started. They talked when they could, texted when they could and video chatted when the connection wasn’t poor and were online for hours until either one or the other or both passed out asleep. They talked, they laughed, they did things together like watch movies or TV shows. It was simple, it wasn’t the most romantic of situations but it worked for them so was it fair?

Did Rantaro love Makoto?

That made the green-haired boy pause, stop whatever he was doing, which was to take care of the dirty dishes in the sink, and think.

Did he love Naegi Makoto? Amami Rantaro wasn’t one for romance, and this was something that has been part of him since he was little. He was too busy taking care of his sisters to really think about dating, and it wasn't as if he was lacking in love. He had his parents, his sisters and friends not to mention the people he got to meet and bond with during his travels. Rantaro was always smiling, always feeling chipper even if he was hiding sadness or anger behind a carefully crafted mask. He was careful and considerate and did his best to look out for others. It was just who he was, his personality, and his entire core. He wasn’t lacking in love and affection, attention, or time.

But Makoto was different. Makoto gave him love and affection, but it wasn’t always in gratitude for something Rantaro did for him. Makoto gave Rantaro his time because he wanted to see him, wanted to hear him talk about whatever it was that he needed or wanted to make clear to him. Makoto cooked for him, you know before the pandemic, texted him throughout the day, volunteered to help out with Rantaro’s sisters among other things. It wasn’t always ideal, since the two went to the same school but weren’t in the same class or grade, but they managed to make it work. And even now, they were able to make it work. Technology can be useful when it didn’t glitch out on you!

Rantaro hummed to himself, closing his eyes.

When he thought of Makoto, he felt warm. He felt warm, at ease even. For someone who’s usually calm, Rantaro had moments of stress and insecurity. Yes, that’s possible even for Amami Rantaro, and when they hit they can hit pretty hard. They can drag him down, make him feel so small and insignificant. A failure, the worst big brother ever…

That doesn’t sound like him, does it?

And yet...and yet with Makoto, those feelings of self-loathing and doubt end up fading away. Not immediately, Makoto wasn’t a cure-all, but Rantaro noticed that after seeing him smile, or hearing him laugh or feeling him card his fingers through the taller boy’s hair he’d forget why he was upset in the first place. Or sad or frustrated or just...numb. Those negative feelings would dissipate as his mind, always overthinking and over worrying behind a serene smile and soft eyes, went from whatever that was wearing him thin (or thinner) to the time Kirigiri sent Shuichi on a scavenger hunt to hone his already impressive detective skills, or the time Makoto and Hinata Hajime had to track down Komaeda Nagito after a “suspicious” explosion took place in one of the science labs.

And sometimes, it was just Makoto making Rantaro some tea and putting on one of his “chill” playlists for them to listen to for hours on end. And he wouldn’t complain, the tiny brunette wouldn’t complain. He’d just smile and go with the flow, and find any excuse to cuddle with the taller boy while being mindful of his tea.

Makoto hasn’t gotten the chance to meet all of Rantaro’s 12 sisters, but he has met the youngest: Sara. And to say Sara was taken with Makoto was an understatement! The two were often glued to the hip whenever Rantaro brought her along to Makoto’s house. They would play video games, Makoto would let Sara play with his hair and his pancakes were her favorite. Sara got along with Komaru pretty well too, the three sometimes a force to be reckoned with when it came to movie marathons. Normally it would be two against one, Makoto losing every time and having to be the one to get the popcorn and other snacks ready. To say that Rantaro was somewhat relieved that Makoto meshed well with some of his sisters, well that would be oversimplifying it.

Rantaro may care deeply for Makoto but his sisters will always come first. They will always come first no matter what; if things weren’t going well as they were, Rantaro would have ended it then and there. Yes, that would mean giving up Makoto, but it was no brainer and Makoto knew that. The tiny brunette was aware that Rantaro would choose his sisters over him no matter the situation, and he accepted it without complaint. It would be as if Rantaro told Makoto to choose between him and Komaru, the answer would be staring the taller boy right in the face.

Both boys put family and friends above everything else and were willing to sacrifice their time and energy for those they held dear.

...It was like they were opposite sides of the same coin. So different yet so similar at the same time.

“I think I do love him…” Rantaro said with a slow smile. His heart skipped a beat, his chest felt tight but not in a way that left him uncomfortable. “I think I do.”

“I knew it,” Amami Sara let out a sleepy giggle when her brother jumped nearly half a foot in the air, happy to have caught him off guard. “Sorry, I wanted some water.”

“You sneak,” Rantaro playfully scolded his youngest sister with a half-smirk, fetching a clean glass from the rack. “You know you’re not supposed to appear out of nowhere like a ghost, I could have still been washing dishes and dropping them all over the floor.”

“Do you love Mako-chan, Big Brother?”

“...I think I do, yeah.”

“Good! Because I love him too,” Sara said, accepting the glass of water with a smile. “Thanks, Big Brother. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Rantaro pressed a soft kiss to his youngest sister’s forehead, watching her shuffle back to her bed. The green-haired boy sighed and leaned against the kitchen sink, crossing his arms and closing his eyes.

* * *

Makoto looked down at a few articles that sort of made up his “new” wardrobe. Hands on his hips, lower lip between his teeth, trying to think of what to wear.

The weather’s going from biting freeze to warm, slightly humid so his usual blazer, hoodie, and jeans combo were going to do him in. That wasn’t an option, oh hell no. He didn’t feel like sweating endlessly during class, even if his classmates and teacher wouldn’t be able to see it much. So yeah, with the season change comes a change in wardrobe.

“How about this?” Makoto easily shrugged out of his plain, simple white t-shirt and held up a red sleeveless vest. It was simplistic in design, the hem stopping just above the tiny brunette’s belly button once he had it on. The vest had a light hood, front pockets, and no sleeves to let Makoto show off the array of red, green and blue shiny bracelets adorning his right and left wrists. “This vest with jeans shorts...I think! I mean, no one will be able to see them and they’re comfy.”

“Hmm, what color?” Rantaro tilted his head slightly in thought, eyes on Makoto as the tiny brunette contemplated which one to show before he held up a pair. They were slightly torn but they were for aesthetic purposes, light blue; Makoto soon held up a pair of red thigh-high socks, blushing but adding in a serious tone, “So these with these, was what I was thinking.”

“You own thigh-highs?” Rantaro’s tone of voice was amused, fond. Makoto’s cheeks grew a darker red but he nodded.

“At this point, I’m officially my class’s second out and proud femboy. Next to Chihiro-chan.”

“Femboy sounds nice.” Rantaro gave a half shrug and giggled when Makoto didn’t even wait for his approval to get the thigh-highs on. His boyfriend always looks his best in red. He looked away to give Makoto a bit more privacy, even when Makoto wasn’t showing many degrees of skin. “You’re getting more and more comfortable in your body, Mako-chan.”

“Thanks to you, you know. I mean I’ve always wanted to express myself a little bit more, I’ve just been scared and not sure where to start. Then,” Makoto smiled at Rantaro once he was done getting dressed, “I met you. You’re so comfortable with yourself, Rantaro-chan. You wear as many earrings and bracelets as you want, you know how to do nails and makeup, whatever you wear you wear with confidence and you smile for miles. I always wanted to be more like that; who cares what other people think? It’s my life, I’ll live it how I want it.”

Rantaro’s cheeks grew warm, and his heart might have skipped a beat or two. It wasn’t his intention to help Makoto grow more comfortable with himself as a person, far from that actually. The green-haired boy did his absolute best to curve the inner tutor/guiding hand/older brother in him when it came to his friends and boyfriend, and most of the time he was successful. Not everyone appreciated that approach, as it can lead to someone feeling like Rantaro was coddling or reprimanding them. Most can understand and don’t hold it against Rantaro, but others...yeah, others don’t take too kindly.

Makoto will let Rantaro know when he crosses the line, with a smile and shy chuckle but with a firmness in his usually soft gaze. Their communication has improved greatly over the weeks and months, and now a year, into their relationship. Makoto felt like he was on equal footing with Rantaro, and Rantaro allowed Makoto to blossom into a better young man without much hand-holding.

They worked. They worked and that’s what matters.

“Rantaro? Rantaro, are you there?”

“I am, just admiring my boyfriend. Again.”

Makoto’s cheeks were on fire, holding up a pillow to hide his face. “You’re a dork.”

“And you’re adorable.”

* * *

“Does he make you happy?”

Makoto took a deep breath, gathering every drop of courage he could. He looked up from his notebook and pencil, meeting a pair of muted gray-green eyes. Despite the smile on those fair lips, the warmth in his gaze was very, very faint.

“Hai, Nagito-chan. Rantaro makes me very happy.”

"I see..."

The “Happier than me?” sentiment went unsaid but lingered like a thick cloud between the two boys.

Maybe it was still too soon for Makoto and Nagito to start talking again. It’s been a year at this point but the awkwardness and the many, many unspoken words remained. The tiny brunette wanted nothing more than to go back to the way things were before the dynamic between them had soured as it did, but…

Did Nagito still have feelings for him?

“You’re different, you and Rantaro. You’re not the same so it wouldn’t be fair to say that he makes me happier than you did, Nagito-chan. I still remember our time together and it had its ups and downs sure, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything.” Makoto’s confession seemed to surprise Nagito, as the white-haired boy sat back in his seat with his lips in a tight, thin line. “You made me happy, and I hope I made you happy too...and I wouldn’t mind keeping that going, you know? Just because we’re not dating anymore doesn’t mean we have to stop being in each other’s lives.”

“I don’t know if I can take it though, seeing you and Amami…”

“I wouldn’t do anything in front of you like that, Nagito. You know me,” Makoto pointed with a deeper frown. “I’m still pretty shy about that, so is Rantaro. I can’t and won’t do that, I give you my word.”

“I don’t know what’s worse: you doing whatever possible to spare my feelings or that I’ve made them known to you.”

“We’re friends, Nagito. I really don’t want us to lose what we have.”

“...”

“Nagito?”

“I need to go, I’m sorry Little Hope.”

“Nagito, wait!”

The taller boy had already disconnected though.

Makoto sighed and closed his laptop, looking up at his bedroom ceiling. “Well, that went well…”

* * *

Makoto gently stroked the tip of his feather earring, a habit he’s developed to calm himself down, and took a deep breath. He reminded himself to breathe in deeply through his nose, let it out slowly through his mouth. He opened his eyes one at a time, staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.

A few minutes of silence passed before the tiny brunette nodded and reached into one of the drawers. He found three bobby pins and held two in his mouth, eyes narrowed into slits. He used his other hand to push several of his messy, brown bangs off his forehead and keep them steady, sliding one of the bobby pins into place. Once he was sure that one was secured the last two joined the fray. It took some patience, as Makoto rarely used bobby pins unless it was to help Komaru with her hair, but he was going to make this work.

A new look he’s been wanting to try…

…

“There,” Makoto rested his hands against the sink, nodded once again and pulled out his phone to take a few pictures.

Here we go!

* * *

Rantaro blinked when his phone vibrated, letting him know he had some new messages. He stepped out of the living room where his sisters were having lunch to check them with some privacy, smiling when he saw who they were from.

Makoto. And with his hair done differently.

Large, beautiful green eyes on full display as his unruly, brown bangs were held back and in place with bobby pins. It looked like the rest of his hair was tied back in a low ponytail, with a green hairband instead of red.

‘Mako-chan...I miss you.’

* * *

‘Rantaro-chan...I miss you,’ Makoto thought with a sad smile, hugging one of his pillows tightly to his chest. The tiny brunette was sitting up in bed, looking out his window. The skies were clear, dotted with many, many smiling stars and a full moon. It wasn’t cold but it looked like it outside, making Makoto clutch his pillow more. ‘I hope the sky looks like this over New York City...so that you can tell your sisters all kinds of fun stories.’ Settling back down, gently caressing the crystal hanging from his neck Makoto closed his eyes. ‘One of these days you’ll have to tell me all of them, Rantaro-chan. All of them, one for every night…’

* * *

‘I should ask him, one day. One day if he wants to come along with us, with me…’ Rantaro thought as he watched the sunrise, sitting backward in his chair and resting his chin on top of his arm. His eyes were glowing almost, a soft sigh leaving his fair lips. ‘Would he though? It’s a lot to ask of someone, to always be moving. To visit places we’ve only heard of, to meet people we thought we could only imagine existing; all of that is amazing and I want to share it with Makoto. But if he doesn’t, I have to be prepared to accept that as well. I don’t want to lose him over an argument that can be talked through. We can still make our relationship work, I still want it to work. Being away this long has made me realize that while I love to travel, I also love the thought of him being my side through it all. Makoto hinted at wanting to see the world one day, and my sisters already love him. It could work: never having to say goodbye for so long, getting to see his smile and hear his laugh in person…’

The green-haired boy’s lazy, serene smile returned with a vengeance, picturing those wide hazel-green eyes glowing golden in joy, in awe and relief that Rantaro had even thought to bring him along. To see him in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings knowing that it didn’t have to end so prematurely.

The idea of sharing such intimacy with someone else…

Naegi Makoto has become important to Amami Rantaro in more ways than one. It was about time he stopped denying it.

‘I’ll ask him,’ Rantaro decided finally, nodding his head once. ‘I’ll ask him the next time we talk.’

* * *

Makoto nearly dropped his phone in his stunned stupor, heart falling straight down into his stomach. He was glad he hadn’t bitten into his sandwich at the moment or else he’d be choking, squirming on the floor of his bedroom like a fish out of water.

“Y...y-you mean it, Rantaro?”

_“More than anything, Makoto.”_

* * *

Makoto sighed as he checked the grocery list his mom had left him just one more, just one more, time. One arm was saddled heavily with bags, nine total and how he managed that was a mystery, while the other cradled his phone like a precious gem as he watched the screen flash with the time.

Early noon, 12:05 PM to be exact. He’s been shopping all morning.

“At least we have everything now,” he mumbled. Despite being a little tired, since he had to get up early to avoid the morning rush, he was quite content with his day thus far. Now all he had to do was get home and unpack the groceries, and once that was over and done with he could finally take a nice, long bath. Komaru was in charge of lunch today so he could make it an hour, or two, longer than usual. “...Alright, time to head home.”

“Do you need some help with your bags?” Someone asked him, Makoto too preoccupied with texting Komaru to really focus on the voice.

“O-oh, no! No, no it’s alright! I can handle it,” he said, quickly putting away his phone to smile sweetly at the stranger. “Thank you so much-” The brunette continued only to cut himself off then and there, eyes growing large and almost dropping said groceries.

Luckily Amami Rantaro was alert and caught the bags before they met the ground. A soft chuckle, a hand pushing a few locks of hair behind his ear and the taller boy was carrying all nine bags without breaking a sweat. “Whoa, careful there Mako-chan. Eggs are really fragile,” his scolding wasn’t really scolding, that clear by his warm, dazzling smile despite it mostly hidden underneath his dark green mask.

“...Rantaro!” Makoto’s whisper was loud and surprisingly wasn’t muffled even when he pressed his face to the green-haired boy’s chest as he hugged him tightly, eyes prickling with tears and shoulders shaking. “R-Rantaro, you’re here! You’re here!”

“I said I would be,” Rantaro’s own eyes fluttered shut as he rested his chin on top of Makoto’s head, breathing in the other’s scent. It’s been a long time since he’s gotten to relish it so now, he was going to take advantage of it. He squeezed the tiny brunette around the waist, pressed his lips to his hair, and allowed his full weight to rest against Makoto’s. The brunette was tiny but he wasn’t weak, and the idea of sharing body heat was just too tempting. “I’m so happy to see you again, Makoto.”

“I m-missed you, Ran-chan.”

“I missed you too, Mako-chan. So much.”

“A lot?” Makoto teased, pulling away slightly to wipe his eyes. His grin peeked out from under his mask. Rantaro’s gaze was smoldering, devouring, and there was slight wetness to his eyes too; he pressed their foreheads together gently, his long lashes brushing across Makoto’s cheeks like feather dusters.

“More than you’ll ever know.”

**Author's Note:**

> ~I do not own the Dangan Ronpa series/property. That is all Spike Chunsoft's doing. This was written purely for entertainment and fandom experimentation purposes.~


End file.
